1. The Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and devices for grilling and warming food products. In particular, the present disclosure relates to wood pellet-fired grilling devices and to systems and methods incorporating the same.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Grilling and warming food products typically include the use of a grilling device having a cooking section. The cooking section of such grilling devices is heated by means of a heat source, which is often disposed within the cooking section. Typical heat sources include electric filaments and combustible fuels, such as charcoal, wood, and gas (e.g., propane, butane, etc.). Outdoor combustion-style grills, in particular, have been developed to provide a convenient means for cooking food without the need for a traditional indoor oven or range.
Some grills may include adjustable heat settings designed to regulate temperature within the cooking section, thereby allowing a user to cook the food at a high heat and then reduce the temperature within the cooking section to maintain the food in a warm state until it is consumed. In some circumstances, however, a user may desire to continue cooking a first food product while maintaining a second, already cooked food product in a warm state; but without over-cooking or burning the second food product. In other circumstances, a user may desire to simultaneously prepare different types of food products, each requiring a different temperature and/or method of preparation. Because the single cooking section is maintained at a single temperature setting, however, the second food product may become over-cooked at a higher, cooking temperature setting or the first food product may not be thoroughly cooked at a lower, warming temperature setting. This can be inconvenient, time consuming, and can ruin one or both food products.
A variety of solutions have been presented to avoid the dilemma presented above. For instance, the second food product is often removed from the grilling device and covered to prevent heat loss. However, simply covering the food product may not maintain the desired (warm) temperature. Food products may also be transferred to a separate warming oven, such as a traditional indoor oven, to maintain a controlled separate temperature. However, laborious transfers of cooked food products may negate much of the ease and convenience of food grilling, and the separate warming oven may still over-cook the food if not designed to maintain a low, warming temperature.
In addition, some manufactures have developed grills with a raised cooking section rack to hold certain food products away from the heat source within the cooking section and thereby cook different food products at different temperatures or rates. However, food products can still become over-cooked on the raised rack as the heat circulating within the cooking section continues to raise the temperature or maintain a higher temperature of the food. Moreover, monitoring and orchestrating the precise timing appropriate for moving the cooking food to the raised rack can detract from the ease of food grilling.
Some specialty grilling devices provide a second cooking section having a second heating source disposed therein. While such grilling devices may overcome certain problems associated with the need to simultaneously cook and warm different food products, or to cook different food products at different temperatures or rates, such grilling devices may consume twice the fuel used in operating the heat source. Thus, a user is left to sacrifice efficiency for the sake of convenience.
Accordingly, there are a number of disadvantages in existing grilling devices and systems that can be addressed. It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a grilling device or system that includes an efficient mechanism for simultaneously cooking a first food product at a higher temperature and warming a second food product at a lower temperature or for cooking, preparing, and/or maintaining two food products at different temperatures.